Ingolf Wunder is the undisputed wunderkind of the Austrian piano scene, so enthusiastically admired . . . This debut for Deutsche Grammophon allows us all to judge his competition pieces, from the masterly handling of the mandatory "Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat major" to the dazzling resolution of extrovert and introvert sensibilities displayed in the "Piano Sonata No 3 in B minor": the Scherzo alone moves from rippling, ebullient industry to soul-searching intimacy, and back again, within three minutes, Wunder displaying a poise and tonal command way beyond his tender years.

Record Review /
Andy Gill,
Independent (London) / 22. July 2011

Here is some dreamy Chopin. Wunder . . . plays Chopin with a trancelike delicacy and also he has an unhurried quality you hear all too rarely among to-day's young virtuosi. On top of that comes a second marvel: it never gets boring. He has a tremendous feel for these oft-performed pieces, just gossamer and enchanting. His phrases are lovely. I enjoyed this disc tremendously.

Record Review /
Mary Kunz Goldman ,
Buffalo News / 09. September 2011

This début disc offers the abundant fruit of Wunder's hard work in preparation for that competition. Even in the first pages of the third sonata, Wunder's profound understanding of Chopin as a many-sided creative genius who spoke with many pianistic accents is clear. He uses minimal pedaling and lets his fingers do ninety per cent of the work; his forceful opening of the first movement and his delectable variety of piano and pianissimo shadings signal that this is an artist worth anyone's attention. His sense of structure is as formidable as his command of dynamics and shading. Everything is in clear focus. When he needs to use more than the minimal pedal, he does it; the greater part of the genius of any instrumental music is to make the instrument do what it's theoretically not supposed to do, and Wunder is a thoroughly committed partner in Chopin's mission to make the piano sound like a sustained-tone instrument. The same sureness and control are evident in the Scherzo of the b-minor . . . . [ Scherzo]: The finale is a miracle of control of touch, dynamics, shadings and every other pianistic element. It is virtuosity without affectation in the very best sense. The other pieces on the disc ¿ and there are no miniatures among them ¿ are handled with similar sureness and keen awareness of style. The Polonaise-Fantaisie, particularly in its somber introduction, has an almost orchestral sense about it. The slow dance itself is pure piano, pure Chopin and pure pleasure. The f-minor Ballade is an even more revelatory excursion into what Wunder is capable of. It is rarefied and poetic playing. One is almost tempted to say that one would have to go back to Ignaz Friedman's recordings of nearly eighty years ago for something remotely similar. It is something uniquely personal and authentic, and yet without undue mannerism. The quality of improvisation which pervades this music and Wunder's ironclad sense of structure and pacing are a thrilling marriage. The same can be said of the Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise . . . This album will win him countless new friends.